Gulf countries 'to continue looking at union'

Riyadh, May 14, 2012

Gulf countries will continue discussions on a possible union of six nations but any such plan will take time, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Monday.

'Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have approved the call for a commission to continue studying in order to present final results (to a coming summit),' he told a news conference after a summit meeting.

'The issue will take time. The aim is for all countries to join, not just two or three,' he added.

On the Iranian intervention, Prince Saud said, Iran should keep out of the kingdom's relations with Bahrain, even if the two states decide to form a union.

'Iran has nothing to do with what happens between the two countries, even if it develops into a unity,' he told reporters at the meeting.

Iranian MPs had earlier on Monday condemned the planned union between the two Arab countries of the Gulf.-Reuters